End of Times or Time of the End?
I'm not one to delve deeply into the end times/last discussion, don't consider myself a dispensationalist, I'm a panalogicalist...it will all pan out in the end. In my opinion, we can spend a huge amount of time speculating when the Lord will return, examining everything that happens in our world, wondering if it's a sign of the end. I remember 1988, one scientist wrote about with 88 reasons why Christ had to return in 1988, then he realized that there was a computer glitch, that 1988 was the year of the final shout, the clarion trumpet call to prepare...1989 was the year, and just in case he was wrong, he gave several alternate dates in the appendix of the book...you don't hear much about Edgar Whisenut any more...so where are we right now?
As much as I don't want make every world event an issue, am not ready to hit a panic button, I must admit that things are tightening up and I think we need to pay attention. It is absolutely possible that the Lord could come right now, or He might come in the year 2525. What I see is that all of a sudden things God prophesied would happen are happening at an accelerated pace! Is it possible that we are living in the season Jesus spoke of in Matthew 13, when everything that has ever been sown in being reaped, good and evil, that we are entering the season known as the beginning of sorrows? Jesus said these things must occur prior to the return of Christ.
Is it time to panic, not on your life, it's harvest time, this is the season of the outpouring of God's Spirit. The greatest movement of God has always been in times of intense battle, in moments of warfare when people needed God the most...I am convinced that God will use the events of world conditions as a catalyst for a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that this is the season of perpetual harvest...souls are at stake...the church must wake up and boldly go where it's never gone before!
The return of Christ is not a fearful thing, it is the motivating factor of believers of all ages! Our message must be one of urgency, but not fear, we're not called to scare the hell out of them, but to warn them and to welcome the lost into a life giving relationship...if fear is the motivator let is be godly fear, not a frightening word that will be temporary peace...but a covenant with God that will last forever...I think we are at the times of the end...what about you?
5 comments:
Great word Pastor Neil, like you I believe we are living in the end times, of which Christ could appear. Whether thats tonight, or 20 years from now, only God knows. As an ardent student of history, it was said that Christians alive during the major wars that America was involved in thought surely Christ was coming soon. How much closer are we now? As for me, I live like He's coming today, but plan like He's coming tomorrow, and with that I wait for that long blast of the trumpet that will cause Christians everywhere to look up!
Amen Jesse!
It was also said of the first century church that they believed the return of Christ was so close that shepherds would sleep with their heads outside the doors of their tents. They were looking for Him at any moment. There is no delay in His return, it's not about a time schedule, it's about a ready people!
Amen to your post, Neil, and to your comment to Jesse!
We must be and stay prepared - and keep looking for his return; otherwise, we might be like the 5 virgins who didn't have their lamps trimmed - we might be wondering what happened to us, when we are left behind!
I know he's coming soon - it will be in HIS time, regardless if it's tomorrow, next year, 10 years, or 50 - he's coming soon! And, I pray for all my family to be ready, when the last trump sounds!
I think there is too much going on in the realm of prophetic fulfillment for us to ignore the signs. Like you guys have said, I don't have much use for charts outlining special dates- but the signs are in the bible for a reason. Jesus said when we see all these things happening around us- to look up for our redemption draws near. I'm no longer looking at the signs, I'm listening for the sound of the trumpet!
He's coming soon- how soon? Only He knows- but the signs tell us it can't be toooo much longer :)
I've been at the Church of God general assembly this week and just returned this evening. Let me throw out a thought:
This week I heard a staggering statistic, there are over 6 billion people on the planet, only 1 1/2 billion of them are christians. My question is with so few saved why would Christ come at this point in time? I'm not saying He isn't, and as Henry quite aptly pointed out, we are seeing Biblical signs confirming the nearness...but don't we have some work to do?
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